GWMS Sunday Message
Week of February 8
Kudos to…
- Ms. Portillo for her supervision during the 4:15 bus dismissal, we can always count on her.
- Mr. Perkins, Mr. Olmstead and Ms. MJ for helping with transition to electives.
- Ms. Hein for her work around SOL prep.
- Ms. Downey and Mr. Jones for helping out a fellow colleague.
- 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Science teachers for work around SOL prep.
- Ms. Rivas for helping in the 7th grade office while Ms. Benitez was out.
- Ms. Palmer, Ms. Spector and Ms. Mayer for helping with professional learning last Tuesday.
If you'd like to add your own Kudos the link is here.
Staff Member of the Month
Now it is time for our PBIS vocabulary game….. WORDS WITH FRACULTY
WORDS WITH FRACULTY! This week’s intellectually snobbish, impractical, obsolete, and vacuous word will be stated on the announcements. Students will be challenged to use the word in its proper context per the appropriate content area to gain prexie love in their classes.
THIS WEEKS WORD: KNOTTY - complex, difficult to solve
Locker Clean Out
Monday, February 8: 6th Grade
Tuesday, February 9: 7th Grade
Wednesday, February 10: 8th Grade
New Student Schedules - Pass Out During Homeroom Monday, February 8
Students will receive their 2nd semester schedules on Monday, February 8, 2016.
- All Homeroom teachers pass out schedules from AA's, to the kids during homeroom on Monday February 8th.
- Semester 2/Quarter 3 classes change, starting Tuesday February 9th.
- Students have ONE WEEK, on February 16th, to request schedule changes for Semester 2 electives with their school counselors. Students should see their school counselors to request changes. Changes will be very limited due to space/capacity.
National History Day - Feb 8 and 9
Here are a few logistical reminders:
• 7th and 8th grade students will be competing the morning of Monday, Feb. 8th. Students will be in the library or mini gym starting at 8:45. Once a student’s project is judged, they will then return to class. Based on when their project is judged, they can be gone from 15-45 minutes. The morning session ends at 11:30.
• Group projects will be judged in the afternoon on Monday, Feb. 8th. Students from grades 6-8 will be judged during this time. Once a project is judged students will return to class.
• 6th grade students will be competing the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 9th. Students will be in the library or mini gym starting at 8:45. Once a student’s project is judged, they will then return to class. Based on when their project is judged, they can be gone from 15-45 minutes. The morning session ends at 11:30.
• If students are presenting a documentary, they will come to the designated locations 5 minutes prior to their start time. They will return to class after they present, and will miss a total of 20 minutes of class time.
• History teachers will give students times and locations of where to report.
Thank you for your support as we judge over 500 projects over two days. Winners will move on to the Regional Competition on March 5th. Winners will be announced later next week.
Monday, Feb 8, 2016, 08:45 AM
George Washington Middle School, Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, United States
Parent Teacher Conferences
Student Surveys & Mid Year Reflection
Quarter Ends February 8 - Grades Due February 11 by 4pm
As you know the marking period has been extended to end on February 8th. All assignments for Q2 need to be dated to on or before 2/7 to calculate in Q2.
Once a quarter has started we are not able to alter the beginning or end dates of the quarter. Currently, Q2 is set to end on 2/7 in PowerSchool. Therefore, if the Q2 date is moved later than 2/7 teachers will need to be made aware that all assignments that are to be counted in the Q2 calculation will have to be back-dated on or before 2/7. Any assignment dated 2/8 or later will calculate into Q3.
PBIS - February Pillar is RESPECT Reloaded!
The Prexie Pride Pillar of the Month is Respect Reloaded! This month we will focus on Black History Month and Respect by using the theme, What Are You Fighting For? Each week we will use specific events from African American culture to highlight this theme and challenge reasons why they should demonstrate respect for themselves, for their peers and adults, for example:
- Montgomery Bus Boycott vs. Following directions on the school bus, What Are You Fighting For?
- Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-in vs. Following directions in the cafeteria, What Are You Fighting For?
- Overall Civil Rights Movement vs. Following simple requests, What Are You Fighting For?
Our goal this month is to help our students understand that they don't need to fight (fight by not putting forth effort, fight following simple requests, fight their peers) because the fighting has already been done for them! We want to take away any excuse they have not to demonstrate respect by asking them the question, "What Are You Fighting For?"
Mail Chimp
Mail Chimp has proven to be a great way to keep our GW families in the loop with all of the fantastic things that go on at GWMS. Thank you to everyone for your contributions…..KEEP THEM COMING! You are doing great work with our students and the parental feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Continue to send your pictures and short write-ups to Ms. Barnes - adriane.barnes@acps.k12.va.us - to share all the wonderful things going on in your classrooms.
Thank you!
HALLWAY SUPPORT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Please stand in the middle of the hallways and actively monitor and support students on their way to class. We need to perform as a unified team in this respect. The power of the many is what makes transitions smooth and orderly. Simply put, we cannot do this alone.
Saturday School
Restorative Justice
Upcoming Week
Monday 2/8/16
END OF QUARTER
National History Day
Tuesday 2/9/16
National History Day
NO PROFESSIONAL LEARNING due to History Day
- if you have time to come help judge please see Ms. Podgorski
Staff Mtg 3:30pm Library
PTA Meeting with Dr. Crawley
Wednesday 2/10/16
Superintendent Chat 8:30am Library
WIDA Testing
VGLA Team Monitoring 2pm - 4pm
AVID Site Team Meeting, 3:30pm MPR
Thursday 2/11/16
GRADES DUE by 4pm
Friday 2/12/16
Have a great long weekend!
Monday 2/16/16
NO SCHOOL - President's Day